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Wikilinks

Wikilinks are internal links that connect files in your knowledge base using [[double bracket]] syntax.

Section titled “Creating Wikilinks”
  1. Type [[ and start typing a note name
  2. Select from autocomplete and press Tab
  3. Navigate with Ctrl+Click (Cmd+Click on Mac) or F12
  4. Create new notes by clicking on non-existent wikilinks

Example: Graph Visualization

Placeholders

Section titled “Placeholders”

Wikilinks to non-existent files create [[placeholder]] links, styled differently to show they need files created. They’re useful for planning your knowledge structure.

View placeholders in the graph with Foam: Show Graph command or in the Placeholders panel.

Section titled “Section Links”

Link to specific sections using [[note-name#Section Title]] syntax. Foam provides autocomplete for section titles.

Examples:

  • External file: [link text](other-file.md#section-name)
  • Same document: [link text](#section-name)
Section titled “Block Links”

Link to a specific paragraph, list item, heading, or blockquote using [[note-name#^blockid]] syntax. Add a ^your-id anchor at the end of any block element, then reference it from other notes.

See Block Anchors for full details.

Section titled “Directory Links”

Linking to a folder name navigates to that folder’s index file — either index.md or README.md. This works for both wikilinks and regular markdown links:

  • [[projects]] → opens projects/index.md (or projects/README.md)
  • [Projects](projects) → same
  • [Projects](projects/) → trailing slash is ignored

If a file named projects.md exists alongside the projects/ folder, it takes priority.

To disable this behavior, set foam.links.directory.mode to disabled in your VS Code settings.

Section titled “Link Syncing on Rename”

When you rename or move a note or folder, Foam automatically updates all wikilinks pointing to it. This is enabled by default and can be turned off via the foam.links.sync.enable setting.

For standard markdown links (e.g. [text](path/to/note.md)), VS Code has a built-in feature that handles this. Enable it in VS Code settings: set markdown.updateLinksOnFileMove.enabled to always or prompt.

Markdown Compatibility

Section titled “Markdown Compatibility”

Foam can automatically generate Link Reference Definitions at the bottom of files to make wikilinks compatible with standard Markdown processors.

Section titled “Related”

LINKS TO THIS PAGE

Using Foam Block Anchors Footnotes Graph Visualization Frequently Asked Questions Recipes
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